The Illness
by Removed For Lying To Parents
Summary: What if vampires could fall ill? What is the only thing that makes them sick? What will happen if one of the Olympic Coven comes down with something truly nasty? Read on to find out! Story is better than the sucky summary, I promise!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own Twilight.**

 **Stephenie Meyer: No, you don't.**

 **Me: Well, can I own Edward?**

 **SM: Hell No.**

 **Me: Jacob?**

 **SM: No.**

 **Me: Emmett?**

 **SM: Again, no.**

 **Me: Seth?**

 **Sm: Definitely not.**

 **Me:** ** _Aro_** **?**

 **SM: *smirks* You can have James.**

 **Me: Oh, screw you.**

I woke up to a sweltering hot bedroom. "Edward," I said groggily, groping the bunched sheets next to me. There was nothing there.

Yawning, I sat up, kicking the thick, heavy comforter off of me, and reached blindly for the lamp switch.

"Edward?" I repeated, my sleepy brain not registering. I licked my dry lips. It tasted like something had died in my mouth.

There was a note on my other pillow. In beautiful handwriting, far superior to my chicken scratch, it read:

 _Bella,_

 _Love, if you have woken up and are reading this note,_

 _I am sorry for leaving you. I need to hunt. It has been_

 _almost three weeks now, and I am dangerously pushing_

 _my boundaries. I will be back hopefully by late afternoon,_

 _but until then, Alice will be staying with you. Please,_

 _at least try to stay safe._

 _Edward_

I groaned. Alice meant playing Barbie-Bella, and Barbie-Bella meant extreme torture by makeup. And Charlie was going fishing with Billy later, so there was no one to stop her.

I laid back down on the messy bed, relishing the soft down and Edward's faint but lingering sweet smell. (Is that too weird?)

I glanced at the clock. Eight-thirty. Damn. There was no way I was going to fall asleep now.

Sighing, I rolled out of bed, put my fuzzy bunny slippers on (yes, you read me right), and blundered for the bathroom.

After taking care of my human needs, brushing my teeth, yanking a brush through my tangled and knotted hair, and splashing my face repeatedly with cold water, I felt somewhat roused, and hurried down the stairs to make breakfast.

"Hi,Bella!" Alice chirped from the kitchen table. She was reading one of Charlie's newspapers.

My reply was something like, "Ermph."

"Well aren't you bright and cheerful this morning," she said sarcastically.

I stuck my tongue out at her and went to pour a bowl of cereal,but she stopped me. "If you pour that bowl of cereal, you are going to miss the bowl, spilling them all over the floor. Then, when you go get a broom to clean them up, you are going to slip spectacularly, fall, and possibly break your leg. Edward would destroy me if I let that happen, so please , either let me pour it for you, or just make an omelette."

She said it so seriously and in such a confident, matter-of-fact tone that I burst out laughing. "Um, okay. If you say so." I was still laughing as I handed her the cereal box.

Alice wrinkled her nose as she poured the cereal. "Yuck. I will never understand why humans love this sugary junk. It may just be the vampire in me, but they smell so gross. I wouldn't have ate them even when I was a human." She made a face and pushed the bowl toward me, like it was diseased or something.

"Fruit Loops?!" I said, incredulous. "You will pay for that blasphemy!" I took a huge spoonful. "Mmm," I said, making sure to slurp the milk. I did it mostly to annoy Alice, but also because they just taste sooo good. I love sugar. (Who else loves Fruit Loops? I do!)

"Ew." Alice wrinkled her nose. "Those better not make you hyper," she said, eying me warily. I just laughed.

By the time ten minutes were up, the cereal was all gone, and the bowl was in the dishwasher.

"What do you want to do?" Alice asked. Her golden eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Not what you want to do," I told her.

"Please?" She begged, giving me the Bambi-eyes she knew I couldn't resist. Shoot.

"Fine." I finally said. I swear the evil pixie squealed. "But no funny business this time! I do not want to wear another corset!"

Alice laughed crazily and ran upstairs to get her makeup bag. She had left it at my place last time Edward went hunting. She said that she had dozens of them while I had none. I didn't have the heart to tell her I would never use it.

Alice came skipped down the stairs, and I began humming the theme song from Jaws. "Oh, screw you," she said, but she was laughing.

I tried to fall asleep while she "worked". It wasn't easy. She is very fond of mascara. (A.N. Who else hates mascara? I know I do! I hate having anything near my eyes!) I managed to get between an hour to two hour's worth of sleep before Alice woke me up so she could show me her masterpiece.

"Come on!" She said, trying to tug me to the mirror. I was just glad she wasn't using her full strength. As it was, she was just about tugging my arm off.

"No!"

"Please?"

"Dammit. Fine." Damn Bambi-eyes.

She pulled me upstairs to the master bath, were there was a full length mirror.

"See?" Alice said. "You look beautiful!"

She was right for once. My brown eyes were easily accented by long, fluffy lashes and a gray-blue eyeshadow. My thin, light lips were full and a natural, bright pink. My ivory skin seemed to shimmer underneath all the blush and powders. My hair was done up in a messy but elegant bun, loose curls sticking out at odd angles. I looked almost like a fairy-tale princess.

"Wow." I finally said. Alice grinned. "Wow," I said again, feeling stupid now.

"Now may I please read Wuthering Heights?"

"How does that story not bore you? You read it so often."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, we can't all be into Vampire Diaries."

Alice gasped. "How did you find out?!"

I grinned but didn't answer.

"Spill it!"

"Well, when you accidentally leave the book lying on the coffee table in full view, someone is bound to find out."

She groaned. "Damn you!"

I just laughed and ran upstairs to get my book.

In this manner, hours past. It is so easy for me to get lost in a book. The characters pull me into their world. So when Alice said, "Where are they?", I looked up in surprise.

"Where are who?" I asked.

"Edward and Jasper!" Alice was clearly agitated; she was pacing the hardwood floor. Her heels were making an awful racket. I don't know how I did not notice it before.

"They should have been back by one!" She practically shouted.

I glanced at the kitchen clock. Two-thirty. "Maybe they are running a little late," I suggested. Then my brain cleared, I shook my head. Edward would never run late. Hell, half the time he came back, an hour early, saying he could not bare to be away from me any longer. Crap. They really were late. What the hell? I joined Alice in her pacing.

"What if something is wrong?" Alice asked me, eyes crazed with fear for her mate.

"Like what?" I said, though her fears echoed mine. "Victoria is gone, and the wolves won't attack unless the treaty is breached. You would have seen if the Volturi were to come down, you have been watching them so carefully. What could possibly harm them?"

"What if it is a group of newborns?"

"Don't be silly; newborns could not hurt Jasper. Or Edward, either."

Just then, Alice's phone ran. As if on cue, she froze. She stood still as a statue, her eyes blind; seeing the future.

"Great timing, Alice," I muttered to myself. "You better be seeing something useful." Then I realized what her ringtone was, and I cracked up. It was "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake. Tears rolled down my face, and I was shaking, I was laughing so hard.

Once I was done laughing, I reached into her jean pocket, pulling out her cellphone. The newest iPhone, of course; the one that can't even be bought in stores yet.

The caller id said, "Honey." Jasper, probably.

My worry overrode any sort of caution and respect for Alice's privacy. "Hello?" I said, answering the phone.

"Bella, is that you?" Jasper sounded out of breath, almost as if he had been frightened. In he background, I could hear grunts, heavy panting, and . . . hacking?

Before I could respond, Jasper continued. "It's Edward," he said. "I think he's . . . sick."

 **A.N. Sorry for the cliffy! So what do you guys think so far?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all. We are just children playing in her imaginary world.**

* * *

 _Before I could respond, Jasper continued. "It's Edward," he said. "I think he's . . . sick."_

Alice's head snapped up, and she reached impatiently for the phone, but I could not move. I was frozen still, unable to break this icy shock.

"Is Alice there?" Jasper asked. I could not answer. All I could do was just stand there, confused and wondering.

How could a vampire be sick? That just didn't even make sense. How could. . . a virus would need a living host; I remembered that much from Biology. So how could a virus attack a vampire who is. . . already dead.

And surely no weak human bacteria could affect him. The venom inside him would surely kill anything living that tried to make its way in. So how. . . It just didn't make sense.

"Is Alice there?!" Jasper repeated, panic seeped into his voice. Slowly melting, I turned robotically and handed the phone to Alice. I did not trust myself to speak.

She began speaking rapid-fire, her words moving to fast for my human ears to catch them.

As the initial shock wore off, the fear and panic began to set in. What was Edward sick with? Was it mild, like a human cold, or long term and strong, like the flu or malaria? How long would it last? Was it dangerous? Was it contagious to humans, or to other vampires? Would he be okay? What if it ki-

I stopped myself, refusing to even think that thought. Edward would be okay. He was strong.

' _But what if he isn't strong enough?_ ' that stupid little voice inside my head whispered.

' _Shut up!_ ' I told it. ' _He will be fine!_ ' My head was hurting from worry and wondering. All I could think about was my Edward. I needed to see him. Now. I needed to be there for him.

Whirling, I went to snatch the phone out of Alice's hands, only to release she wasn't there. Where the hell was she?

Not even five seconds later, she came rushing down the stairs. She threw a pair of clothes at me. I caught them clumsily and stumbled back from the surprise load.

Before I hit the floor, Alice had set me back on my feet. "Get dressed," she said without looking at me. "We'll meet Carlisle on the way." With that, she left the room just as fast as she entered it.

I looked down at the clothes in my hands. Blue jeans and a old, black t-shirt with a faded peace symbol. That was so decidedly not Alice. Normally, it drove her nuts when I wore these clothes.

'She must be really worried about her oldest brother,' I realized. And that's what scared me. What had she seen, to make her act this way? Edward, sick and flushed with a mild fever? Or something even worse? Something I could not even say?

I dressed quickly, my fear for my love enabling my clumsy body to move with inhuman speed. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins, making me antsy and jittery.

I ran down the stairs to the living room, tripping multiple times but never falling. I through open the door and ran to Alice's yellow Porsche. "Get in!" She yelled, flinging the custom butterfly door open.

The car ride was almost unbearable. Even with Alice driving twenty miles over the speed limit, something that would normally make me highly nauseous, we drove at an antagonizing pace.

Uncomfortable silence filled the majority of the ride. We did not speak to each other, each to busy with their own worries. I tried to turn the radio on, but all the songs sounded the same, the melodies repetitive and the lyrics phony. Yet every song reminded me of something else I loved about Edward, and brought me fear back to full force, so I finally just shut it off.

Multiple times, I tried to drag information out of Alice, pestering her about her vision, but she would not tell me anything. "It may not come to pass," she would say," so it is not important." But when she said this, I saw how tight she pressed her lips, her eyes blazing, and how she had a death grip on that steering wheel, and I knew she was lying.

After about an hour of driving, we pulled over. "We must go on foot from here," she said, getting out without looking at me.

We had pulled off at the side of a large forest. It consisted mostly of pines and firs, with a few oaks, redwoods, and the occasional elm thrown in for variety. Inside, it was dark, the leafy branches blotting out the sun, allowing only filtered red light in. The forest was surprisingly quiet, the eerie silence broken only by the faint chirruping of birds. The air was musty; it smelled like mold and wet bark and damp soil. But it smelled pleasant, too, like wildflowers and Christmas firs and pine needles. It was a woodsy smell that reminded me of Jacob. My heart panged at the thought of my best friend and favorite mechanic, but I ignored it. I was focused on one thing right now: getting to Edward.

After a minute of hiking, Alice turned to me. "Get on my back," she said. "I am sorry, but I just can't stand walking at a clumsy, human pace right now." Her words were blunt and brusque, but not intended to be cruel. I did not hold it against her; we were feeling much the same. Her voice was steely, but her pitch black eyes betrayed her anger and fear. They reflected the same emotions I knew she saw in mine.

Obligingly, I climbed onto her back, and we shot off like a rocket. She was not as fast as Edward, I doubt anyone could be, but the speed was enough to make the trees go by in a dizzying blur. My stomach churned. I swallowed nausea down, wincing as I tasted bile. My eyes stung from the wind. I closed them, alleviating some of the pain. My hair lashed at my face and neck like whips, and I belatedly wished for one of the many ponytail holders I had left at home.

The incessant rocking motions made me sleepy, despite my earlier nap. That seemed like days ago. There was only a waiting game to play now. There was nothing I could do but stare dumbly at the passing trees. Sighing, I rested my weary head and resigned myself to a fitful and unwelcoming sleep.

 **A.N. Hi guys! Sorry this chap is so short. It is because I wanted to do an early update for everyone who reviewed and followed this story. You guys are awesome! Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Stephenie Meyer owns all. I own nothing but a crush (can you guess which character? It is not Edward or Jacob) and this plot.**

 **A.N. Thanks to every** **one who has read and reviewed this story! I want to give a big shout-out to Peacelovefairy, who has been my most supportive fan throughout my time on Fanfiction. You rock, girl!**

 **Now on with the story!**

 _The incessant rocking motions made me sleepy, despite my earlier nap. That seemed like days ago. There was only a waiting game to play now. There was nothing I could do but stare dumbly at the passing trees. Sighing, I rested my weary head and resigned myself to a fitful and unwelcoming sleep._

"Bella." A soft voice awoke me from my sleepy stupor.

"Hmm," I mumbled, trying to clear my groggy head. I licked my lips and laid my head back down, shifting slightly. Damn, this was one bony pillow. I raised my head, confused, yawned and finally opened my eyes.

I was still on Alice's back, but we had stopped running.

Alice grunted. "We're almost there. Do you think you can walk the rest of the way?"

I nodded, then realized she couldn't see me. "Yeah," I said sleepily.

She knelt, and I slowly unhooked my arms from around her neck. I winced as my cramping arms and legs protested. I stretched, and multiple joints in my back and legs popped. I sighed with the relief.

Then I remembered why I was on Alice's back, and all the emotions came rushing at me in a flood, threatening to sweep me off my feet. Edward. I had to get to him now.

"You said we're almost there?" I said, turning to Alice. "How far?"

"Only a couple yards," she said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I said, nerves making me impossibly impatient.

Rolling her eyes, Alice took the lead. We walked for several minutes, silence filling the air. The loudest sound was my pounding, fearful heart, and the occasional crack of a twig underneath my feet.

"We're here," Alice said at last, quietly. At first, I didn't see anything. I started to say,"Where are they?", but then we crossed the grassy knoll, and I saw them. My breath hitched, and my legs nearly gave way.

Edward sat, slumped over, with his back against a tall oak. His messy bronze hair clung to his forehead, which was clammy and shone with impossible sweat. He was red and flushed, his skin no longer pale, though still lighter than a human's. His face was contracted with visible pain. His breathing was weak, his chest rising and falling very subtly, with long gaps between. As I watched, a coughing fit wracked his body. He shook with the effort, his chest heaving in a weak attempt to draw air. It was several minutes before the violent fit passed. When he was done, his head fell back, and his face was very faint. Bloody foam beaded his lips, mixing with the dripping sweat. His eyes were black, but wether with thrist, anger, or pain, I did not know. They were dull and glassy, almost as if he was blind to the world. He very well may have been, because he was oblivious to our approach.

Jasper and Carlisle sat on either side of him. He leaned against Jasper for support. Carlisle was wiping his forehead with a cloth, but the sweat was replaced almost instantaneously. Carlisle was talking to him quietly, but I'm not sure he could even hear him. Jasper's face was strained, probably trying to ease Edward's emotions. I could only imagine what he was feeling.

I knew what I was feeling. It felt like my heart would crack, seeing Edward in such pain. My heart was breaking, silently begging to let me bear the pain instead. He didn't deserve this. I felt tears welling in my eyes, but I held them back. I had to be strong. For Edward. He needed me, now more than ever.

Edward began coughing again, more violently this time. He stopped, gurgling, as if he was choking on some liquid. Then, abrubtly, blood came flowing out of his mouth, spewing in an unholy fountain. He was throwing up, something that shocked me all the more.

As quickly as it started, it stopped. Edward's head slumped to the side, without the energy to even try and wipe his mouth. Carlisle gently wiped it for him, cradling his son's head.

Carlisle said something to Jasper, his voice too low for me to hear. Jasper nodded, his forehead creased with concentration. Carlisle stood up, effortlessly rising from a crouch that would have been painful to any mortal. He turned and met my gaze. His face was tired, drawn, aging his ever-youthful appearance. His eyes held so many emotions, even more than mine. I couldn't imagine what he felt, with his son in this state. But I needed to speak with him.

As he walked closer, I asked, knowing he can hear me,"What is wrong with him?" My voice cracked slightly, and the held-back tears threatened to overflow. I bit my lip hard, hard enough to draw blood.

Carlisle looked at me, and I saw utter helplessness in his eyes. "I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know."

 **A.N. Okay, guys. The updates are going to be far less frequent now, because this is as far as I have written. Don't forget to review! Reviews = oxygen, and oxygen = a faster update! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: SM owns all. Damn rich genius :)**

 **A.N. I want to give a big shout out to RVDLegsTrish. You have helped me see the light in a very dark time for me, and you let me know that I am ever alone. I can't thank you enough.**

 _"What is wrong with him?" My voice cracked slightly, and the held-back tears threatened to overflow. I bit my lip hard, hard_ _enough to draw blood._

 _Carlisle looked at me, and I saw utter helplessness in his eyes. "I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know."_

When he said this, I couldn't hold back, and the tears ran down my face in a heavy river. I breathed in noisily, and exhaled in a giant sob. I began to hyperventilate, my breath coming in constricted pants. I had only cried this hard once before, when . . . Edward had left me.

I cried for Edward, for me, for all the Cullen's, for all of us. The growing dam of muddled emotions that had steadily grew since I had first heard those words, "Edward is sick," had cracked, and all the fear and pain came rushing out in a riptide, that was now slowly ebbing.

I looked up at Carlisle, who had taken me into a tight embrace and let me cry on his white doctor's coat. I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "I am so sorry," I whispered hoarsely.

"Shhh," he said softly, almost crooning, rocking us back and forth gently. Comforting me like a broken child, which was how I truly felt. Once a father, always a father.

Sniffling, I struggled to compose myself. I knew how I must look; eyes red and puffy from so much crying, hair a rat's nest from sleeping on Alice's back, clothes wrinkled and dirt-stained. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I did my best to regain my dignity. "Please tell me there is something you can do." My voice was hollow, my tears spent.

"I won't know much until I get him back to the house," he said, releasing me gently. He nodded at Alice and Jasper. "Can you carry him back?" He asked them. "I'll carry Bella."

The mates nodded grimly, in tangence. Gently, they slide their arms under Edward's, and hoisted him up.

Edward's eyes focused briefly, and he spoke coherently for the first time since I got here. "So . . . cold," he said, his teeth chattering. He shook as he spoke. His voice was brittle, like at any moment he might shatter into pieces on their hands. Then his eyes went dull again, and he slipped back into an altered state of consciousness.

Seeing him like this, my hands began to shake, and the tears almost began to stream again, but I refused this time. I had to stay strong, for all of us, not just Edward.

Before Alice and Jasper could take off, I ran up to them. Standing on my toes, I reached up and kissed Edward gently. I stayed there for a brief moment, the pulled away, reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, and rested my forehead on his. "I'll be here when you wake," I whispered, hoping he could hear me somewhere in there. I kissed him again, and walked back to Carlisle, spent and worn.

Carlisle gently picked me up, swinging me into his arms. Through my thin, warn jacket, I could feel the cold he radiated, and I shivered slightly. Frowning, Carlisle took off his lined doctor's coat, and wrapped me in it like a baby. "Sleep," he said to me. "You're tired. I can see it in your face."

I started to protest, but a wide yawn interrupted me. I blinked and almost forgot to open my eyes again. What the hell? I had just slept.

"Stress," Carlisle said, somehow hearing the question I had not asked. "Sleep, Bella. I will wake you up when we reach the house."

As he ran, Carlisle somehow managed to keep his arms completely still, forming a marble mattress. I laid my head against his chest, and fell asleep within the minute.

* * *

Yawning, I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. Something dug painfully into my sides. Looking down, I saw I was sitting in a small chair, like one you would find in waiting room. I blinked sleepily. Where was I?

The room was dim, and my vision was blurry from sleep. As I let my eyes adjust, I used my other senses to explore my surroundings.

I heard a steady beep, beep, beep. It was rythmic, following a short, concise pattern. I could also hear the sound of dripping liquid, like a leaky faucet. There was breathing, too, a light whisper of strained breath, with long pauses between inhalation, and exhalation.

The air smelled clean, like bleach and antiseptic, sickenly clean, like the cold atmosphere of a hospital. But there was an underlying tone of copper, of rust, that I could not pinpoint.

The air was cold, very cold, as if someone had the air on full blast. I shivered.

As my eyes slowly began to adjust, I could begin to make out small features of the room. There was something large, furniture, in front of my chair, a bed maybe. There was a window behind, but the sun had already set, leaving almost no light to illuminate the room.

Just as my eyes got used to the lack of light, I heard someone open the door and flip a light switch. I yelped in pain as blinding light filled the room and seared my eyes. Whimpering, I quickly shut them.

"Oh, God, I am so sorry, Bella," I hear a soft voice say. It took me a minute, but I soon recognized it as Carlisle.

"I's all right," I said through gritted teeth. Slowly, I opened my eyes just a crack, wincing as the painful light hit my retinas.

I could see the room clearly now. The unidentified shape was indeed a bed. It was a hospital bed, with the starchy sheets and white railings.

Edward was lying inside those confinements. The beeping I had heard early was a heart moniter. Or rather, what looked like a heart monitor. It was hooked up to Edward, but was quit clearly being used for something besides monitoring his _heart_.

The dripping noise was from an IV bag filled with blood, which also explained the smell. I could see the needle, stuck in his inner elbow, and I briefly wondered what kind off needle it took to peirce vampire skin. How would that work, anyway if they no longer have blood in their veins?

He was wearing one of those thin hospital gowns, the kind that tie in the back. He was underneath two heavy blankets and a sheet, but he still visibly shivered. His eyes flickered restlessly underneath their lids. His hand occasionally moved, twitching subtly. A thin line of venom, like drool, had dried at one corner of his mouth. he was wearing a cap covered in metal electrodes, like those to measure brain activity. I followed one of those cables with my eyes, and it led back to the supposed "heart monitor". So that was what it was for.

Carlisle entered my field of view, walking to the side of Edward's bed. As he went slowly, he slid his hand along the cold railing. He stopped on the right side, closest to me and opposite all the machines. "I am very sorry," he repeated, not looking at me. "I did not know you were awake."

I stood up to join him, wincing as all my joints popped with a crack. I walked to his side. In his hand, he held a hypodermic needle. The needle itself appeared to be made out of a substance similar to steel, but probably far stronger, and the empty chamber was lined with a material I had no name for, a shiny pale gray metal.

I looked up at Carlisle's face at the same time he looked down at me. I say so many emotions and feelings there, the sadness and the worry and the love. The wisdom of nearly two hundred years lined his face, but so did the aches and pains of responsibility. Wordlessly, I slid my hand across the railing, and took his empty hand in mind. He squeezed it gently, reassuringly. Then he let go with a look of apology, and walked over to Edward's head. He picked up a remote control, and with the press of a button, the top half of the bed began to rise.

I reached my hand through the slats on the railing and grabbed Edward's hand. It was warm like that of a human's and the color was off. We matched for once. I squeezed his trembling, hot fingers gently, and bent down to kiss them.

I watched Carlisle as he effortlessly opened Edward's mouth. I was right about the needle being stronger than ordinary steel; I watched in amazement as it pierced the tough skin of his throat. The chamber began to fill with a liquid; it was a sickly yellow color, like tainted bile. I presumed it was his venom. The chamber sizzled when it came in contact with the dangerous fluid, but the metal coating did not dissolve.

Carlisle must have felt me watching him, for he said," I am drawing his venom to compare it to the blood sample I took from the mountain lion. If I see a matching nucleus, like that of a virus or chemical element, then I can find the culprit. You can clearly see how the venom is tainted, sick. Normally it would be a semi-clear, white liquid." He skillfully removes the needle, pulling a small vial from his coat pocket, and empties the chamber. Then he caps the needle and put both the syringe and the vial in his coat.

He opens the door and goes to leave, then looks back at me. "Follow me," he said,"and I will tell you everything I know."

Numbly, I oblige.

 **A.N. Longest chapter yet! Whoop whoop! Sorry guys, but you will have to wait a little longer for an explanation. As always, R &R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Hi, guys! *ducks a flying tomato* Sorry I haven't updated in so long; life was killing me! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all recognizable plot and characters.**

 _"Follow me," he said,"and I will tell you everything I know."_

 _Numbly, I oblige._

He led me out of the room and across the hallway, past the wall of graduation caps. I gaze at them fleetingly. Every little thing brought back so many memories; it is almost painful.

Carlisle opened the door of his study. I hesitate for a moment, feeling oddly like an intruder, before crossing the threshold. I remembered that old vampiric legend, how they had to be invited into a room, or something like that. I almost laughed at that odd thought.

Carlisle effortlessly slid out of his white coat, and draped it across the plain computer chair, which sat before his beautiful, antique mahogany desk. The coat stood out, a stark contrast to the black chair.

He paced for a minute, pinching the bridge of his nose; an action Edward had obviously learned from him. His breathing was heavy, almost labored like Edward's. His face was pinched, as if he were in pain. His expression was tormented; he looked like, at any moment, he could cry, though I knew that was impossible. I could see the frustration on his face, the anger, the fear, the _love_ for his son. I saw emotions I had no name for, feelings only a parent could know and understand.

He began talking rapidly, robotically, the issuing words sounding mechanical. "I don't know what is wrong with him. It could be viral or bacterial, or it could be from some sort of chemical Until I run a few more tests, all I know is the symptoms.

"Vampires normally run at a temperature of 63.7 degrees. Edward has a fever of 85.4 degrees, and it is rising at an alarming rate. By the end of the week he could be the same temperature of any healthy human. If it is allowed to get that high, he could suffer from convulsions, seizures. And I have no clue what the effects of that could be.

"He is excreting venom, in the same manner a human would sweat. The venom is infected, too. If I or any other vampire were to come in contact with it, we would contract the illness too, through our own venom. Venom is like our blood; if we are to become ill, the sickness must infect our venom like a virus would infect your bloodstream. Venom flows through our veins rther than blood, all of itself, without aid from a heart. How it can do so is still a mystery, but a fact nonetheless.

"As human blood brings nutrients from the stomach throughout the body, nourishing and providing strength, venom carries sustenance from the blood we drink throughout ours. Whatever lies in Edward's venom is destroying the nutrients, eating them, before they can circulate through his body, before the blood can even reach his stomach. What little does make to his stomach is instantly repelled, purged in the form of vomit. I have him on an iv drip of donated blood right now, but his body is not absorbing it."

Here he paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath. He sat down in the black computer chair. He buried his head in his hands for a moment, and when he raised it, I had never seen him look so helpless before.

"If I could identify the substance that were sickening him, I could make an antigen, some sort of antibiotic or medicine to stop it. Without it, his body is not able to heal itself. His venom is not strong enough to destroy it; our venom does not contain platelets or white blood cells. Without outside help, he - he will die."

Here his voice broke, and he buried his head in his arms. A strange, rasping noise came from him, and with a start I realized he was crying. His eyes were dry, unable to release tears, but his very body shook with his dry sobs. I hesitated for a moment, uncertain of what to do; I was not used to him showing such emotion. He had always held strong for our his family's sake, for my sake too.

I hesitated for only a moment. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him, embracing him like I would to console Renee. He leaned into the hug, his breathing ragged. I grabbed one of his hands in mine and gave him a gentle, reassuring squeeze. I rested my head on his shoulder and we cried together.

I don't know how long we were like that. When I finally stood up, my back ached from leaning over the chair for so long. My eyes were gritty and bloodshot from crying so long, and my nose was a runny mess. I sniffled loudly, and Carlisle handed me a tissue from the desk.

His face was drawn, haggard. His normally golden eyes were a dark black, not from thirst, but from pain and sadness. His expression was slightly embarrassed, his gaze not meeting mine at first. After a moment, he looked up at me and mouthed, "Thank you." When he finally began talking, his voice was hoarse and rough from crying.

"I took a sample of blood from the deer he fed on. I am running through several scans now. Once that is done, I will analyze the sample of venom I took from Edward. If I can find any foreign elements that match, I will know the cause of his illness, and can find a path to treat it."

He stood up and walked over to the right back corner of the office. He beckoned my over and told me to look closely. Upon closer inspection, hidden behind a large palm plant, I could see lines in the stone wall, seams. A hidden door.

Carlisle lifted the potted plant up and away from the door with ease. I watched in awe. Any normal human would wrench their back trying to lift something of such weight.

He removed a small silver key from his pocket and stuck it in a tiny, near invisible slit that I had not noticed before. There was subtle click as he turned it, and the door swung open with a pop, revealing a large room.

The room was white, the walls covered in marble tiles. It smelled strongly of bleach and other, faint chemicals. The silent air was now filled with the gentle hum of electricity. The room was filled with large machines and monitors. It looked like a high-tec science lab; the only items that I could place names on were the microscopes, and even those were different from any others I had ever seen. Even with my meager knowledge, I knew the equipment in this room would amount to more than a quarter million. I felt small surrounded by objects so big and vast, like a little kid again. I had an irresistible urge to run my hands along everything and play with the smaller gadgets, but I kept my hands clenched at my sides.

Carlisle sat down at a small white desk; made of plastic, it was clearly the only thing in here worth less than $500. A large computer monitor, as big as amy decent televisio screen, hung on the wall in front of him. He controlled it using a small, black keyboard with lit keys and a matching mouse.

Carlisle typed in a series of commands that appeared on the screen. I couldn't make heads or tails of the encrypted words, but the computer could, and brought up two large pictures. One was a diagram of a DNA strand, color-coded with red yellow, green, and blue, just like you would see in any biology textbook.

The second was a picture of enlarged cells, as seen through a powerful microscope. It reminded me of those Powerpoint presentations back in middle school, when we were studying the human body.

Carlisle frowned at the picture and wheeled his chair to the left. On the edge of the desk sat a large machine that looked like a cross between a microscope and one of those things doctors use during an eye exam. He withdrew the vial of venom from his pocket and looked up at me. "Could you hand me one of the glass pipettes, and then turn the lights off when you are done?" he asked.

I nodded, handing him the tube carefully. I flicked the light switch by the door, and the room was bathed in darkness, illuminated only by the soft glow of the computer screen. I couldn't see a thing, but I knew Carlisle's sensitive eyes could see just as well as if every light in the room was on.

After a moment, Carlisle uttered something under his breath, too low for me to hear, but sounding a lot like an oath. He called for me to turn the lights on, and I blindly felt my way for the light switch. His face was grim, his mouth a tight slash, his eyes burning with fury. When he spoke the following words, his voice seethed.

"Edward was poisoned."

 **Duh dun dun! XD As always, R &R, my friends! Peace!**


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